


Again

by bewdofchaos



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Emotions, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Duel Links, One Shot, Pre-Dark Side of Dimensions, Reunions, Romantic or platonic you decide - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:46:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24368305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bewdofchaos/pseuds/bewdofchaos
Summary: Several months after they last spoke, Kaiba reaches out to Yugi. It's about... him. Expecting to have to pick up Kaiba as he falls to pieces, Yugi unexpectedly finds himself to be the one falling apart.
Relationships: Atem & Mutou Yuugi, Atem/Mutou Yuugi
Comments: 12
Kudos: 37





	Again

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by Duel Links and a subsequent Tumblr post discussing a part of the game that you can find [here](https://atems-leather-pants.tumblr.com/post/619066477897793536/nightfurylover31-real-life-pine-tree). 
> 
> Forgive any roughness, this was written between 3 am and 5 am because I could not sleep.

_Here we go._

The Kaiba Corp building towers in front of my eyes yet again. This morning, I received a cryptic message from Kaiba saying he needed my help with something. Of what, he would not say. All he told me to meet him at his headquarters this evening and to bring my deck.

He had not reached out to me in a long time, so receiving that email this morning was a surprise. What could he need from me? 

_Maybe this is about… him._

It’s always about him with Kaiba. This would not be the first or last time that he had tried to do something to see him. I screw my eyes shut. If only he would just stop. Accept the fact that he is…

Why does _he_ get to be this way?

The ceremonial duel was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Defeating him that day was bittersweet. He deserved his rest. He had earned it, and I am happy I was able to make it happen for him. But in the process, I lost my friend, my partner, my other self. He had to go walk another path.

We both knew this needed to happen, but that did not make it hurt any less. I have to stay strong for him.

I finally open my eyes to gaze at the glass doors of the KC building.

“Time to see what Kaiba wants.” I mutter to no one in particular.

Once inside, a security guard called out a quiet greeting, motioning me to follow. A short elevator ride later, and I find myself standing outside a door labeled ‘research and development’. The guard swipes a key card, and with a soft click, the door opens.

 _I remember this place_.

We had come here a few times in the past. Virtual reality pods sat in a cluster off to the side. Beyond the desks and technical stations was a duel arena with the latest KC virtual reality set up. The guard starts to proceed and motions silently to me. I follow. He leads me through the research and development area to a smaller room. There, he was waiting.

Seto Kaiba.

His crossed arms and dramatic clothing choices were characteristic, expected. His gaze was not. He almost looked… pleased to see me?

“Kaiba. It’s good to see you.” I greet.

“Thank you for coming here on such short notice, Yugi.” He responds. “I take it you’ve talked to Joey?”

“Is this about your newest technology?”

Kaiba nods once, curtly. “It’s called Duel Links. Through the use of bleeding edge, hyper-realistic virtual reality software, I strive to be able to connect every duelist and dueling fan alike and provide them a place where they can strive to be, and beat, the very best.”

“I heard from Joey that it has been a success so far. He really likes it.” I say with a small smile. “But I don’t understand why you need me here… I don’t duel all that much anymore.”

“Yugi…” His gaze says more than his words ever could. I cut him off before the words could have a chance to be said.

“Kaiba, we have been over this. You really need to stop.”

It _is_ about him. What does Kaiba think he could do? Use this technology to bring him back? He’s gone. He’s where he… should be. Where he needs to be.

_I wish that he would just give us both our rest._

Kaiba is clearly hurting, but he is not the only one. I am trying to move on as best as I can. Cope with this loss as best I can. I pour all of myself into my school work, my friends. It’s what he wanted for me. To live. But conversely, how Kaiba is reacting, behaving… that is _definitely_ not what he would have wanted.

Kaiba’s obsession with resurrecting his rival has clearly gotten to him more than any of us initially thought it would. It has formed so many cracks in his mind that we all wonder when he will just… fall apart. I have tried to reach out to him, to help, but as always he does not want it. At least, not from me.

“I want you to try out Duel Links.” Kaiba finally speaks.

“I don’t know if that’s really…”

“Yugi.” He hands me a headset. “I need your… opinion.”

There's little point arguing with him over this, so I take the headset. Over the next few minutes, Kaiba explains the headset – a neural link – and what I will experience when my consciousness gets uploaded. None of this is all that foreign to me, as this is not the first time I will have been inside one of Kaiba’s virtual reality programs.

I settle into the chair Kaiba has indicated is for me and put on the neural link. Kaiba takes a small device out of his coat pocket and turns it on.

“Are you ready, Yugi?”

“Alright, let’s do this.”

Settling my head back against the headrest, I wait for the link to open. Interestingly, I feel very little when it is finally initiated. Kaiba has made this upload much less jarring than his other programs. My vision fades.

But it only lasts for a moment.

My eyes train on the paved streets beneath my feet. I look down at my shoes, my pants, my jacket. I’m in my school uniform. I look up to see a fountain and several buildings reminiscent of those in Domino City. It almost feels like home. Almost.

“ _Yugi feel free to browse around and check it out. The dueling arena is to your left. You should find that your deck has been uploaded with you.”_ I feel Kaiba’s words more than hear them. They must be coming through the neural link. I’m sure that this would be odd for some, but I’m already used to hearing… well, I used to hear someone like this once.

Again pushing aside the little bubble of grief almost out of instinct now, I try to refocus on my task. Now that I’m here, I might as well see what the dueling is like here.

I reach down to open my deck holster and just like Kaiba had said, my deck was there. Dark Magician. Dark Magician Girl. Kuriboh.

 _We can work with this._ I smile at the cards that have become like friends to me at this point. We have been through so much.

Carefully replacing them in their case, I start to walk towards the dueling arena. As soon as I enter the doors, the room goes black for a moment.

A spotlight shines on the floor just beyond my feet. I step into it. Another one shines, just a few paces away. I follow the lights until I enter into a large arena. Holographic screens hover above my head, futuristic in their design. I can hear my boots scuff gently against the dark concrete floor. It was impeccably constructed to look just like the Kaiba Dome, except for one detail. Instead of the usual roar of the crowd, the stadium was silent. Empty.

 _This is strange, I’m sure Kaiba would have programmed in some people or something_.

I walk to my mark. Once I’m there, a light flashes in front of me. Ahead, the far side of the stadium wall opens and a figure walks through. A voice booms from overhead.

“And now for your challenger!”

My heart nearly stops. From within the light walks in a truly unexpected person.

His boots are mine. His clothes are mine, although the way he wears my jacket is distinctively _his._ His duel disk is mine. An erratic shock of tricoloured hair frames a face I have looked into so, so many times before. A face that I never thought I would see again for as long as I live.

_Is it.. Is it really…_

My chest is on fire and I can’t seem to get enough air. That face, those eyes. They bring forth so many emotions, crashing over me like waves. Surprise, hurt, joy, loss. How…

“Atem… it’s you.”

A smile crosses those lips. A familiar smile on a familiar face. It was always so gentle whenever it was trained towards me.

We duel, and just like last time I give it my best shot. He is using his deck, built just like how he had built it. I know this deck all too well. I flip up my last face down and it spells the end of the duel. I have won again.

“I lost.” he says quietly. 

I may have won, but I also lost too.

I look into those eyes, shining with radiance at me from across the stage. I can almost convince myself that I see that joy and pride that I saw in them during our last duel. The one where he… left. Simultaneously, my heart breaks but paradoxically, it seems to heal.

I know it's not him. It’s not Atem, but it is... him. And right now, in this moment, it’s enough for me.

He walks off his end of the stage and I walk off mine.

This will not be the last time.


End file.
